Pan-STARRS comet will be visible in western sky tonight

University of Alabama astronomy professor William Keel took this photo of the Pan-STARRS comet, seen at upper left, while standing in the parking lot of Davis-Emerson Middle School in Tuscaloosa on Tuesday.

photo | William Keel

By Ken RobertsCity Editor

Published: Friday, March 15, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, March 15, 2013 at 12:12 a.m.

University of Alabama astronomy professor William Keel says he’s bringing out the heavy hardware for tonight’s public sky viewing of the Pan-STARRS comet.

“We should have a whole range of 5- to 20-inch aperture telescopes,” for the viewing from 7:30-8:15 tonight at Moundville Archaeological Park, he said Thursday.

He said the telescopes, at least four of the largest in UA’s astronomy department, will give viewers a good look at Pan-STARRS, which is passing within 100 million miles of Earth on the newly discovered comet’s first voyage through the solar system.

The viewing at Moundville Archaeological Park is free, but Keel advises people to arrive on time.

“The window for viewing is fairly short, because the comet is so low in the sky,” he said, adding that the cool weather and clear skies are ideal conditions for sky viewings.

He said that people who attend will also be able to see the planet Jupiter, various star clusters and nebulae through the lenses of the powerful telescopes.

Even if you can’t make it to the Moundville park, Keel said Pan-STARRS will be visible in the western skies around Tuscaloosa at dusk.

He advises finding an area with a clean view of the western horizon, a spot free of interference from streetlights.

“The top of the parking lot at the (UA) Student Rec Center is a good spot,” he said.

Keel said the comet should be visible to the naked eye, but that a pair of binoculars should provide a sharper view.

The comet’s name is an acronym for the telescope in Hawaii that first spotted it two years ago: the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System.

Astronomers believe that the comet is billions of years old and originated in the Oort cloud, a cloud of icy bodies beyond the orbits of the planets Neptune and Pluto.

Keel called the Pan-STARRS’ appearance a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“Don’t plan on ever seeing it again,” he said.

But Keel said this might be a just dress rehearsal for an even brighter comet, ISON, that will be visible at the end of the year.

Russian astronomers discovered ISON in September 2012 and its name is an acronym for the International Scientific Optical Network.

Neither Pan-STARRS nor ISON pose a threat to Earth, according to scientists.

<p>University of Alabama astronomy professor William Keel says he's bringing out the heavy hardware for tonight's public sky viewing of the Pan-STARRS comet.</p><p>“We should have a whole range of 5- to 20-inch aperture telescopes,” for the viewing from 7:30-8:15 tonight at Moundville Archaeological Park, he said Thursday.</p><p>He said the telescopes, at least four of the largest in UA's astronomy department, will give viewers a good look at Pan-STARRS, which is passing within 100 million miles of Earth on the newly discovered comet's first voyage through the solar system.</p><p>The viewing at Moundville Archaeological Park is free, but Keel advises people to arrive on time.</p><p>“The window for viewing is fairly short, because the comet is so low in the sky,” he said, adding that the cool weather and clear skies are ideal conditions for sky viewings.</p><p>He said that people who attend will also be able to see the planet Jupiter, various star clusters and nebulae through the lenses of the powerful telescopes.</p><p>Even if you can't make it to the Moundville park, Keel said Pan-STARRS will be visible in the western skies around Tuscaloosa at dusk.</p><p>He advises finding an area with a clean view of the western horizon, a spot free of interference from streetlights.</p><p>“The top of the parking lot at the (UA) Student Rec Center is a good spot,” he said.</p><p>Keel said the comet should be visible to the naked eye, but that a pair of binoculars should provide a sharper view.</p><p>The comet's name is an acronym for the telescope in Hawaii that first spotted it two years ago: the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System.</p><p>Astronomers believe that the comet is billions of years old and originated in the Oort cloud, a cloud of icy bodies beyond the orbits of the planets Neptune and Pluto. </p><p>Keel called the Pan-STARRS' appearance a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.</p><p>“Don't plan on ever seeing it again,” he said.</p><p>But Keel said this might be a just dress rehearsal for an even brighter comet, ISON, that will be visible at the end of the year.</p><p>Russian astronomers discovered ISON in September 2012 and its name is an acronym for the International Scientific Optical Network.</p><p>Neither Pan-STARRS nor ISON pose a threat to Earth, according to scientists.</p><p>“It's been kind of a wild year for comets,” Keel said.</p>